Battle of Sandepu
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Battle of Sandepu (Battle of Heikoutai) | |
---|---|
Part of the Mukden, Manchuria | |
Result | Inconclusive |
Oku Yasukata
Tatsumi Naofumi
9,511[2]
- 1,848 killed
- 7,421 wounded
- 242 captured
13,963
The Battle of Sandepu (also known as the Battle of Heikoutai) (
Background
After the
The Russian commander, General
General
Gripenberg was initially pessimistic towards Kuropatkin's plans for an offensive against the Japanese left wing, which was in an exposed northern position close to Russian territory near the small village of Heikoutai. He agreed to the plan on the condition that all three Russian armies coordinate their attack. Details of the plan were leaked by
The Mishchenko Raid
Kuropatkin’s first move was to send General
The Battle of Sandepu
On 19 January, Kuropatkin issued orders for the Second Manchurian Army to attack in a maneuver to outflank General Oku's Japanese Second Army and to drive it back across the Taitzu River before Nogi's Third Army could arrive. However, Gripenberg was not allowed to commit all of his forces – Kuropatkin limited him to three divisions plus the 1st East Siberian Army Corps and cavalry. The Japanese were aware of these plans, causing Ōyama to reinforce his left flank. Kuropatkin afterwards blamed premature moves by Gripenberg for alerting the Japanese.[6]
On 25 January 1905, the battle began with an attack by the 1st Siberian Rifle Corps on the fortified village of Heikoutai, which the Russians took with severe losses. The Russian 14th Division, which was intended to attack the fortified village of Sandepu (三界坝村), failed to coordinate its attack with the 1st Siberian, and attacked on the following day, 26 January, instead.
By the morning of 28 January, Gripenberg found that he was separated from Kaulbars by the village of Sandepu, which prevented any attempt to link forces. However, as he still outnumbered the Japanese defenders by seven divisions to five divisions, he insisted on continuing the offensive. His decision was not supported by Kuropatkin, who acted with his usual caution and hesitation, and ordered Gripenberg's forces back. Stackelberg, again ignoring orders, continued to attack, and with the help of Mishchenko's cavalry, took part of Sandepu village. Simultaneously, the Russian 10th Army Corps under General Konstantin Tserpitsky, with Gripenberg's consent, succeeded in securing positions to the rear of Sandepu. Despite the advantageous situation, Kuropatkin then relieved Stackelberg of his command for insubordination, and again demanded that Gripenberg withdraw. Advancing Russian soldiers, their morale high as they were on what appeared to be a successful offense for the first time since the beginning of the war, could not understand the reason.
Ōyama then launched a massive counteroffensive on 29 January 1905, and succeeded in retaking Heikoutai by mid-morning.[7]
Immediately after the battle, Gripenberg resigned his commission, claiming illness and was replaced by Kaulbars. On his return to St Petersburg, he stopped at Harbin where he bitterly blamed Kuropatkin for the debacle in the newspapers, declaring that he was a traitor and that Kuropatkin withheld crucial support due to jealousy at his success. He continued a harsh publicity campaign against Kuropatkin in the newspapers after his return to Russia.[6] Stackelberg was also relieved of his command by Kuropatkin, and charged with insubordination.[4]
Results
Total Russian
As the battle ended in a tactical stalemate, neither side claimed victory. In Russia, the
Notes
- ^ a b Dowling 2014, p. 761.
- ^ Clodfelter 2017, p. 359.
- ^ Russian Main Military Medical Directorate (Glavnoe Voenno-Sanitarnoe Upravlenie) statistical report. 1914.
- ^ a b c d Kowner, Historical Dictionary of the Russo-Japanese War, pp. 342–343.
- ^ McCullagh, F. With the Cossacks
- ^ a b c Jukes, page 65
- ^ a b Connaught, page 277
- ^ Soviet Casualties and Combat Losses in the Twentieth Century by G. F. Krivosheev Archived May 9, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Connaught, page 278
References
- Clodfelter, M. (2017). Warfare and Armed Conflicts: A Statistical Encyclopedia of Casualty and Other Figures, 1492-2015 (4th ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 978-0786474707.
- Connaughton, R. M. (1988). The War of the Rising Sun and the Tumbling Bear—A Military History of the Russo-Japanese War 1904–5. London. ISBN 0-415-00906-5.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - Dowling, T. (2014). Russia at War [2 volumes]: From the Mongol Conquest to Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Beyond. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1598849479.
- Jukes, Geoffrey. The Russo-Japanese War 1904–1905. Osprey Essential Histories. (2002). ISBN 978-1-84176-446-7.
- ISBN 0-8108-4927-5.
- McCullagh, Francis. (1906). With the Cossacks; Being the Story of an Irishman who Rode with the Cossacks throughout the Russo-Japanese War. London: E. Nash. OCLC 777525